Blue Bell Knoll

Last updated

Blue Bell Knoll
CocteauTwins.BlueBellKnoll.lp.jpg
Studio album by
Cocteau Twins
Released19 September 1988
Genre
Length35:17
Label 4AD
Producer Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins chronology
The Moon and the Melodies
(1986)		Blue Bell Knoll
(1988)		 Heaven or Las Vegas
(1990)

Blue Bell Knoll is the fifth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released on 19 September 1988 by 4AD. This was the band's first album to receive major-label distribution in the United States, as it was originally licensed by Capitol Records from 4AD for North American release. After a period of being out of print while 4AD reclaimed the American distribution rights for their back catalogue, the album (along with much of the band's 4AD material) was remastered by guitarist Robin Guthrie and reissued in 2003. Vocalist Elizabeth Fraser named the album after a peak in southern Utah called Bluebell Knoll. [1] [2]

Contents

Background

Upon the release of the album, Ivo Watts-Russell, co–founder of the bands record label 4AD, commented on lead singer Elizabeth Fraser's vocals on Blue Bell Knoll saying "It’s got her best singing since she discovered her higher range. ‘Carolyn’s Fingers’ is absolutely beautiful, and still gives me the shivers". [3] Fraser would later comment on the album, saying "Blue Bell Knoll was the easiest I’ve ever done to make a record. The records are a representation of our coping skills, and I think I was very much in denial, and I think that you can hear that on Blue Bell Knoll. Not one word can you grasp. Giving anything away it just wasn’t allowed". [4] Raymonde claimed that were a greater sense of freedom around the recording of the album, claiming "it really felt like a period of creativity and freedom, we were all getting on great musically and socially, Liz and Robin were about to have a baby, I was about to get married, there was lots of joy around. Very productive! It was a really fun record to make". [5]

Release and performance

Blue Bell Knoll was released in September 1988 by 4AD and Capitol Records (in the United States), where it marked the first major record label release for the band in the United States market. The album peaked at number fifteen on the UK Albums Charts, and number one hundred and nine in the United States on the Billboard 200 albums charts. “Carolyn's Fingers” from the album reached number two on the US Alternative Airplay Charts. [6] In Japan, the song “Athol-Brose” was released as a single in 1990, accompanied with “Carolyn’s Fingers” and “Iceblink Luck”, following a feature in a Japanese television commercial. [7]

The release of the album marked the first time a 4AD release was released commercially in DAT format, with a limited-edition gatefold sleeve being made available for the vinyl release of the album. [8] To further promote the release of the album, two promotional music videos were created to accompany the release of "Carolyn's Fingers" and "Cico Buff". [9] 7-inch and 12-inch singles were released to promote the single “Carolyn’s Fingers”, featuring “Ella Megalast Burls Forever” and “A Kissed Out Red Floatboat” as b–sides. [10]

Upon the album's release, it was voted as Album of the Week by Dutch radio broadcaster Omroepvereniging VARA. [11]

In 2014, the album was repressed on 180g vinyl using new high definition masters. [12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Drowned in Sound 10/10 [14]
NME 9/10 [15]
Pitchfork 8.3/10 [16]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Record Mirror 4/5 [18]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [19]
Sounds Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [20]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 6/10 [21]
The Village Voice C+ [22]

In a contemporary review of Blue Bell Knoll, Victoria Thieberger of The Age appraised it as "everything that atmospheric music should be and usually isn't". [23] NME also reacted positively, ranking Blue Bell Knoll at number 33 on its list of 1988's best albums. [24] A less favourable response came from The Village Voice 's Robert Christgau, who wrote that "these faeries are in the aura business" and asked "what are they doing on the alternative rock charts? Ever hear the one about being so open-minded that when you lay down to sleep your brains fall out?" [22]

AllMusic critic Ned Raggett retrospectively wrote that "Blue Bell Knoll has some striking moments that are pure Cocteaus at their best", citing the opening track "Blue Bell Knoll", "For Phoebe Still a Baby" and the U.S. single "Carolyn's Fingers" as highlights, before suggesting that "things slowly but surely slide back a bit" afterwards. [13] Gen Williams of Drowned in Sound disagreed, saying in her 2002 review that "from start to finish, it's a record that gleams with grace and emotion; chiming, mournful guitars and layered tapestry of sounds evoke a vast array of imagery". [14] Consequence 's Len Comaratta wrote that the album, "with its rich and ambitious expressiveness, returns the band to its dream pop roots in the ether." [25] Pitchfork listed Blue Bell Knoll as the 81st best album of the 1980s, with reviewer Stuart Berman calling it "a record that courts the pop mainstream through its crisp, radiant production and also boldly rejects it through vocally smeared songs that are nigh impossible to sing along to." [26]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie, and Simon Raymonde

No.TitleLength
1."Blue Bell Knoll"3:24
2."Athol-Brose"2:59
3."Carolyn's Fingers"3:08
4."For Phoebe Still a Baby"3:16
5."The Itchy Glowbo Blow"3:21
6."Cico Buff"3:49
7."Suckling the Mender"3:35
8."Spooning Good Singing Gum"3:52
9."A Kissed Out Red Floatboat"4:10
10."Ella Megalast Burls Forever"3:39
Total length:35:17

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Blue Bell Knoll
Chart (1988)Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC) [27] 15
US Billboard 200 [28] 109

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocteau Twins</span> Scottish rock band

Cocteau Twins were a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instrumentalist Simon Raymonde in 1983. The group earned critical praise for their ethereal, effects-laden sound and the soprano vocals of Fraser, whose lyrics often eschew any recognisable language. They pioneered the 1980s alternative subgenre of dream pop and helped define what would become shoegaze.

<i>Head over Heels</i> (Cocteau Twins album) 1983 album by the Cocteau Twins

Head over Heels is the second studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. The album was released on 24 October 1983 through the label 4AD. It featured the band's signature sound of "Guthrie's lush guitars under Fraser's mostly wordless vocals" and is considered an archetype of early ethereal wave music.

<i>Heaven or Las Vegas</i> 1990 studio album by Cocteau Twins

Heaven or Las Vegas is the sixth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released on 17 September 1990 by 4AD. Despite 4AD president Ivo Watts-Russell proclaiming it one of the best-ever releases on his label, he released the group from their contract at the end of 1990 because his relationship with the band had soured.

<i>Milk & Kisses</i> 1996 studio album by Cocteau Twins

Milk & Kisses is the eighth and final studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, issued on 15 April 1996 in the UK by Fontana Records and on 14 May 1996 in the US by Capitol Records. It proved to be their last; a meeting two years later to record a new album ended with the breakup of the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Fraser</span> Scottish singer and member of the Cocteau Twins (born 1963)

Elizabeth Davidson Fraser is a Scottish singer. She was the vocalist for the band Cocteau Twins who achieved international success primarily during the fifteen years from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s. Their studio albums Victorialand (1986) and Heaven or Las Vegas (1990) both reached the top ten of the UK Album Charts, as well as other albums including Blue Bell Knoll (1988), Four-Calendar Café (1993) and Milk & Kisses (1996) charting on the Billboard 200 album charts in the United States as well as the top 20 in the UK. She also performed as part of the 4AD group This Mortal Coil, including the successful 1983 single "Song to the Siren", and as a guest with Massive Attack on their 1998 single "Teardrop".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Raymonde</span> British musician and member of the Cocteau Twins

Simon Philip Raymonde is an English musician and record producer. He is the son of the late arranger and composer Ivor Raymonde. He is best known as the bass guitarist and keyboard player with the Scottish band Cocteau Twins from 1983 to 1997.

<i>Treasure</i> (Cocteau Twins album) 1984 album by the Cocteau Twins

Treasure is the third studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released on 12 November 1984 by 4AD. With this album, the band settled on what would, from then on, be their primary lineup: vocalist Elizabeth Fraser, guitarist Robin Guthrie and bass guitarist Simon Raymonde. The album also reflected the group's embrace of the distinctive ethereal sound they became associated with.

<i>Four-Calendar Café</i> 1993 studio album by Cocteau Twins

Four-Calendar Café is the seventh studio album by Scottish band Cocteau Twins, released on 18 October 1993 by Fontana Records. It marks their first release since leaving their former record label, 4AD, and the first album since their 1990 critically acclaimed sixth album Heaven or Las Vegas. Two singles were released to promote the album, "Evangeline" and "Bluebeard". A performance to promote "Bluebeard" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno marked their debut performance on American television.

<i>Victorialand</i> 1986 album by the Cocteau Twins

Victorialand is the fourth studio album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released by 4AD in 1986. Working without bassist Simon Raymonde, vocalist Elizabeth Fraser and guitarist/producer Robin Guthrie opted for a subtler sound on the album.

<i>Stars and Topsoil</i> 2000 compilation album by the Cocteau Twins

Stars and Topsoil – A Collection (1982–1990) is a compilation album by the Scottish band Cocteau Twins, released on the 4AD label on October 16, 2000. The album featured tracks released during the group's time on 4AD between 1982 and 1990, covering every Cocteau Twins album from Garlands through Heaven or Las Vegas. The collection reached number sixty-three on the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Peppermint Pig</i> 1983 song, single and EP by the Cocteau Twins

"Peppermint Pig" is a song by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. It was released as both a single and 12" EP on 4 April 1983 by record label 4AD. Musically, the material was similar to their previous release, the 1982 EP Lullabies. It was the last release to feature original bassist Will Heggie.

<i>Aikea-Guinea</i> 1985 EP by Cocteau Twins

Aikea-Guinea is a March 1985 7" single and 12" EP by Scottish dream pop band Cocteau Twins, released on 4AD. The 7" featured two non-album tracks, while the EP added two more.

<i>Tiny Dynamine</i> 1985 EP by Cocteau Twins

Tiny Dynamine is an EP by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, released on 4AD Records. The EP featured four non-album tracks. It was issued on 15 November 1985, two weeks prior to another EP, Echoes in a Shallow Bay. The two EP sets, which featured complementary artwork, were also released as a combined double EP in a gatefold cover and as an eight-track CD. The EP was later included in its entirety on the 1991 compilation The Box Set and the 2005 singles/EP collection Lullabies to Violaine.

<i>The Spangle Maker</i> 1984 EP by Cocteau Twins

The Spangle Maker is an EP by Scottish band Cocteau Twins, released on 4AD in April 1984. It was the first recording to be issued after bassist Simon Raymonde joined the band. The EP featured two versions of "Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops", and two B-sides. All three songs appeared in the band's live set.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iceblink Luck</span> 1990 single by the Cocteau Twins

"Iceblink Luck" is a single by Scottish band Cocteau Twins, released by 4AD Records in August 1990. It was the first single from the Heaven or Las Vegas album and the band's first single to be released in the United States. It was the band's second single to reach the Top 40 in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 38. The single also received considerable success in Europe, debuting at No. 43 on the European Airplay Chart as well as at No. 91 on the European Hot 100 Singles chart.

<i>The Pink Opaque</i> 1986 compilation album by the Cocteau Twins

The Pink Opaque is a 1986 compilation album by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins, composed of tracks recorded between 1982 and 1985. A joint release by the UK-based 4AD and the American Relativity Records, it was their first official U.S. release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluebeard (song)</span> 1994 single by Cocteau Twins

"Bluebeard" is a single by the Cocteau Twins. It was released by Fontana Records in February 1994 as the second single to be released from the Four-Calendar Café album. All three members of the band – Fraser, Guthrie and Raymonde – are credited as songwriters as well as producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violaine</span> 1996 single by Cocteau Twins

"Violaine" is a single by Cocteau Twins. It was released by Fontana Records in July 1996. It was the second single to be released from the Milk & Kisses album, and their last single to be released from a non-compilation album. It reached No. 56 on the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Evangeline</i> (song) 1993 EP by Cocteau Twins

Evangeline is a song and the 12th EP by Scottish alternative rock band Cocteau Twins. It was recorded and mixed at September Sound in London, and released in September 1993 by record label Fontana. The song, written by group members Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde, was a moderate hit in several countries and very popular in Portugal. It was included on the band's seventh studio album, Four-Calendar Café (1993). The accompanying music video for "Evangeline" was directed by German film director Nico Beyer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolyn's Fingers</span> 1988 single by Cocteau Twins

"Carolyn's Fingers" is a single by Scottish alternative rock and dreampop band the Cocteau Twins, released in 1988 from their album Blue Bell Knoll. The song was released through the 4AD record label and credits all three members of the group – Fraser, Guthrie and Raymonde as songwriters and well as producers.

References

  1. ↑ "Bluebell Knoll". dangerousroads.org.
  2. ↑ Aston, Martin. "Cocteau Twins – Searching for Heaven". 4ad.com.
  3. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Blue Bell Knoll". cocteautwins.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  4. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Blue Bell Knoll". cocteautwins.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  5. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Blue Bell Knoll". cocteautwins.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  6. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Blue Bell Knoll". cocteautwins.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  7. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Blue Bell Knoll". cocteautwins.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  8. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Blue Bell Knoll". cocteautwins.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  9. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Blue Bell Knoll". cocteautwins.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  10. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Blue Bell Knoll". cocteautwins.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  11. ↑ "Music & Media" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 1 October 1988. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  12. ↑ "Cocteau Twins Classics, Blue Bell Knoll, Heaven or Las Vegas, to be Reissued on Remastered 180G Vinyl". Musictap.com. 23 May 2014.
  13. 1 2 Raggett, Ned. "Blue Bell Knoll – Cocteau Twins". AllMusic . Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  14. 1 2 Williams, Gen (5 December 2002). "Album Review: Cocteau Twins – Blue Bell Knoll". Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  15. ↑ Minkoff, Myrna (17 September 1988). "The Cocteau Twins: Blue Bell Knoll". NME . p. 34. ISSN   0028-6362.
  16. ↑ Deusner, Stephen (16 July 2014). "Cocteau Twins: Blue Bell Knoll/Heaven or Las Vegas". Pitchfork . Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  17. ↑ "Cocteau Twins: Blue Bell Knoll". Q . No. 25. October 1988. ISSN   0955-4955.
  18. ↑ Twomey, Chris (17 September 1988). "The Cocteau Twins: Blue Bell Knoll". Record Mirror . p. 31. ISSN   0144-5804.
  19. ↑ Considine, J. D. (2004). "Cocteau Twins". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  174–175. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  20. ↑ "Tangled up in blue". Sounds . 17 September 1988. ISSN   0144-5774.
  21. ↑ Hannaham, James (1995). "Cocteau Twins". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 86–88. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  22. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (24 January 1989). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . ISSN   0042-6180 . Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  23. ↑ Thieberger, Victoria (28 October 1988). "Best New Albums – Blue Bell Knoll". The Age . Fairfax Media . Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  24. ↑ "NME's best albums and tracks of 1988". NME . Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  25. ↑ Comaratta, Len (27 April 2013). "Dusting 'Em Off: Cocteau Twins – Blue Bell Knoll". Consequence . Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  26. ↑ "The Top 100 Albums of the 1980s". Pitchfork . 21 November 2002. p. 2. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  27. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  28. ↑ "Cocteau Twins Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.